My Gift
by vampslayertiff
Summary: A BTVS one shot, taking place at the end of season five written in Buffy's point of view as she realizes that she must sacrifice herself in order to save the world.


_Authors Note:_ _This is written for a challenge on the site, Red Carpet and Rebellion. I chose Buffy the Vampire Slayer, mostly because of the scene that I decided to write about. This is my favorite scene of the entire show, and I hoped that I could do it justice. Enjoy!_

**My Gift**

_"Is this the end?"_, I thought to herself as I stood close to my younger sister, Dawn. We both stared at the crackling ball of electrical energy standing before us. I had faced the apocalypse before, at least on four different occasions before this night. But, I knew this was different. And, it was all because of my "sister". Dawn wasn't really my sister after all. Dawn was the "Key"; a sparkling aura of energy that the Hell God Glory was planning on using to end the world. And, it seemed as though she had succeeded. Even if I had cornered her, and beaten her to a pulp with Olaf the troll's hammer, the demon Doc had gotten to Dawn anyway. And Doc had began slicing my sister, in order to release the blood that the portal would need to open. It would be a sacrifice that it needed in order to blend all dimensions together. Only then Glory would be able to escape back to her own dimensions and return to her seat of power. As I stood memorized by the portal, I turned slowly to look back at Dawn, who was in tears. "I'm sorry – "

"It doesn't mattter.", I spoke to my sister, not show my younger sister the fear that was slowly creeping up inside of me. As I tried to console my sister, Dawn tried to run past me. I grab her, forcing her to stop in her tracks. "What are you doing?", I questioned her, as she prevented her from taking another step closer to the energy. I had already lost her mom in the recent months, and I could not lose Dawn as well. Not even if Dawn wasn't my "real" sister. Dawn was as real to me as anything else in the world. I knew that if I allowed her to do this, everything I had planned and accomplished would be in vain. It would not matter if I lost Dawn.

Dawn began to protest to me, "I have to jump – the energy." I stopped her again and spoke to her in a stern and rash voice, "It will kill you." Dawn looked at her me sheepishly. I knew she was trying to be strong, but Dawn could not sacrifice herself to the world. That was not her job. "I know. Buffy, I know about the ritual." I stared at my baby sister, shocked as I shook my head in the negative. "No.", was the simple reply that echoed from my lips. I could not believe what Dawn was suggesting.

As I stood lost in my thoughts, the tower that we stood upon began to shake and Dawn let out a small cry of fear. As soon as the tower had stopped moving, we both tried to regain our footing on the makeshift piece of crap put together by mentally insane people. Dawn speaks again, urging me to allow her to pass. "I have to. Look at what's happening!" I had never seen her more passionate before in all of my life. In all the fights and arguments that we had shared as sisters, Dawn had never pushed something so hard before.

Maybe the both of us had a bad stubborn streak, because she continued to plead her case. As we both continued to argue, I look up behind her to see a giant dragon flying out of the portal that continued to buzz and crackle with every second that it grew. My eyes widened. We didn't have time to argue about this. We had to figure out a way to stop it. I had to be thinking on my feet, but all my mind was thinking about was preventing Dawn from jumping into that crackling energy. "Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it will never stop.", Dawn argued with me as she stood in front of me with tears in her eyes. I began to shake my head as she continues to plead her case to me with tears in her eyes, "You know you have to let me, Buffy. It has to have the blood."

It was then that everything began to make sense as I realized what had to be done. I remember earlier in the night when Spike told me, _"Cause it's always got to be the blood." _ I also remembered what I told her after rescuing her from Glory in the Psych ward of the hospital, _"It's Summer's blood. It's just like mine." _Another flashback to earlier in the evening came to my memory when I was protesting my case to the rest of the gang _"She's me. The monks made her out of me."_ And the last piece of the puzzle finally came together. The First Slayer's words echoed in my brain. _"Death is your gift."_ Everything finally made sense. I knew what I had to do. Dawn did not have to die. I had to, like every slayer before me. It was after all, my gift to the world. I had to die to save the rest of the world.

As I turn to look behind me, the sky gives me a feeling of peace. I had made my decision. The sun is beginning to come up, and I knew I didn't have much time. I turned back to Dawn as Dawn stared at me with wide eyes. She realized what I was going to do before I even had the time to get it out of my mouth. "Buffy...No!", she spoke to me as I shook my head. "Dawnie, I have to." She continued to protest, giving me one more no. I placed both my hands on her shoulders as I stepped closer to her, "Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen."

The world goes practically silent around me. The crackling of the portal had faded. The only thing I could hear was Dawn's sobbing. I had to tell her goodbye, and I didn't have a whole lot of time. "Dawn, Listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will **always **love you. But, this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles.....tell Giles that I have figured it out. And, I am okay. And give love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world...is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."

As Dawn continued to cry, I stroke Dawn's cheek as I gave her a kiss on the cheek. I loved my little sister and my friends more than anything in the world. I was doing this for them. So that they could live on without me. I turn as I continue to hear Dawn crying. It can not stop me now. I ran towards the end of the platform, which the ball of energy was placed below me. I did not think twice as I jumped off the building, almost in a dive. My body hit the portal, and the most intense pain I had ever felt in my life began to feel my body.

I couldn't scream because of how much pain the portal was causing my body. I knew it would not be long before I was lost to the world. People began to flash through my mind. Dawn was the first. I hoped that one day she would forgive me. Giles came into my head next, and I hoped that he understood that I had to do what I had to do. I thought of Spike, and thought that now he would be free and would not have to chase after me anymore. I thought of Willow and Xander, and knew that my friends would be the people who missed me more than anything. I thought of both Tara and Anya, and I hoped they would have the strength to continue on without me.

As my thoughts passed through my head, everything began to go white around me. I would have smiled if I had been able to. As the last person came through my head, I mentally thought to myself. _Mommy, I'm coming home. _ As my life passed from my body, I had never felt more at peace. My life was over, and now I could rest, in peace. I knew that my sacrifice would save the world. After all, it was my gift.


End file.
